Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the TOEIC®?

No, there is no penalty for wrong answers on the TOEIC®. Only correct answers count toward your raw score. You should always answer every question, even if you have to guess.

How long is a TOEIC® score valid?

A TOEIC® score is officially valid for 2 years from the test date. After that, most companies and institutions require you to retake the exam.

How can I improve my TOEIC® score quickly?

Focus on your weak areas by analyzing your results per section. Practice regularly with realistic exercises , learn key business vocabulary, and work on your time management. Check out our TOEIC® préparation guide for a complète study plan.

What is the minimum TOEIC® score needed?

There is no universal minimum score. It depends on your goal: engineering schools often require 785+ , international companies target 800-900+ , and internal communication roles may accept 600-700 .

Can you retake the TOEIC® multiple times?

Yes, you can retake the TOEIC® as many times as you want. There is no minimum waiting period between sessions. Employers generally consider only the most récent score.

Puntuación TOEIC®: tabla de conversión, MCER y objetivos de puntuación

How TOEIC® Scoring Works

The TOEIC® Listening and Reading test uses a two-step scoring system. First, your number of correct answers (out of 100 per section) makes up your raw score. This raw score is then converted into a scaled score ranging from 5 to 495 per section, for a total of 10 to 990 for the entire test. This conversion accounts for the relative difficulty of each test version, ensuring that scores are comparable across sessions.

TOEIC score conversion grid showing raw and scaled scores

Score Conversion Table

Here are the approximate correspondences between raw score (correct answers out of 100) and scaled score per section:

Raw Score (out of 100)	Scaled Score (per section)
90-100	455-495
80-89	400-454
70-79	330-399
60-69	260-329
50-59	200-259
Below 50	5-199

How Many Questions Can You Get Wrong?

Here is a practical guide to the maximum number of wrong answers per section based on your target total score:

Target Score	Max Wrong per Section
900+	10-15 wrong maximum
800+	20-25 wrong maximum
700+	30-35 wrong maximum
600+	40-45 wrong maximum

Score Milestones

Correspondence between TOEIC® score, CEFR level, and proficiency level (see our TOEIC® score levels guide for more détails):

Score	CEFR	Level
905-990	C1	Expert
785-900	B2	Advanced
550-780	B1	Intermediate
225-549	A2	Elementary
10-224	A1	Beginner

How Companies Use TOEIC® Scores

Companies use TOEIC® scores as a benchmark to evaluate the English proficiency required for différent roles:

International positions: 800-900+
Customer-facing roles: 700-800
Internal communication: 600-700
Entry-level positions: 500-600

To assess your current level, try our free TOEIC® practice test and learn how to effectively prepare for the TOEIC®.

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